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Week of October 27, 2014

New in Paperback

Week of October 27, 2014

Releases for the week of October 27th include STILL LIFE WITH BREAD CRUMBS by Anna Quindlen, a wry and knowing portrait of a photographer who discovers that what she sees through a camera lens is not all there is to life; AN OFFICER AND A SPY, the story of the infamous Dreyfus affair told by Robert Harris as a chillingly dark, hard-edged novel of conspiracy and espionage; RAISING STEAM, the 40th installment in Terry Pratchett's Discworld fantasy series; and MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH EATING by Ann Mah, the memoir of a young diplomat’s wife who must reinvent her dream of living in Paris --- one dish at a time.

Bark: Stories by Lorrie Moore - Fiction/Short Stories

October 28, 2014


In her new collection of stories, her first in 15 years, Lorrie Moore explores the passage of time and summons up its inevitable sorrows and hilarious pitfalls. Here are people beset, burdened, buoyed; protected by raising teenage children; dating after divorce; facing the serious illness of a longtime friend; setting forth on a romantic assignation abroad but having it interrupted mid-trip, and coming to understand the larger ramifications and the impossibility of the connection.

Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford - Historical Fiction

October 28, 2014


For hundreds of years leading up to England's Edwardian era, the fates of the elite Ingham family and their servants and confidantes, the Swanns, have been intertwined in ways that leave each group wondering how they would ever survive the triumphs and tragedies of life without the help and love of the other.

Confessions of a Wild Child by Jackie Collins - Fiction

October 28, 2014


Lucky Santangelo is a 15-year-old wild child ready to discover life, love and independence. Daughter of the notorious Gino, Lucky discovers her mother's murdered body floating in the family swimming pool at the tender age of four. Since then, Gino has kept her protected from life closeted in their Bel Air mansion. But in CONFESSIONS OF A WILD CHILD, Lucky finally breaks free, and running away from boarding school the adventures begin.

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger - Fiction

October 28, 2014


When Mia Durkheim chooses Sophie Diehl, a criminal attorney, as her reluctant divorce lawyer, both women are in for a rollercoaster ride that takes them from the depths of despair to the heights of euphoria as they battle Dr. Daniel Durkheim and his team of shark-like lawyers all the way to the finish line, where a divorce decree is the final prize.

Double Down: Game Change 2012 by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann - Politics

October 28, 2014


John Heilemann and Mark Halperin set the national conversation on fire with their bestselling account of the 2008 presidential election, GAME CHANGE. In DOUBLE DOWN, they apply their unparalleled access and storytelling savvy to the 2012 election, rendering an equally compelling narrative about the circuslike Republican nomination fight, the rise and fall of Mitt Romney, and the trials, tribulations and Election Day triumph of Barack Obama.

The Fragile World by Paula Treick DeBoard - Fiction

October 28, 2014


The Kaufmans have always considered themselves a normal happy family. But then they receive a phone call in the middle of the night that their son has been killed in a “freak” road accident. From this moment, the bonds tying them together begin to unravel, and things only get worse when the killer is released from prison early. Curtis packs his car up and takes his daughter on a journey to set things right.

George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger - History

October 28, 2014


When General George Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776, many thought the American Revolution might soon be over. Instead, Washington rallied --- thanks in large part to a little-known, top-secret group called the Culper Spy Ring. Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger have painted compelling portraits of Washington’s secret six.

Going Dark by James W. Hall - Thriller

October 28, 2014


Earth Liberation Front is a loosely knit organization comprised of environmental activists who take a "by any means necessary" approach to defending the planet. Flynn Moss, Thorn’s newly discovered son, has naively fallen in with an ELF cell in Miami that has concocted a non-violent plan to shut down the largest nuclear power plant in the state. But unbeknownst to some in the group, there are other members who would like to cause a radioactive catastrophe rivaling Chernobyl or Fukushima.

Hild by Nicola Griffith - Historical Fiction

October 28, 2014


In seventh-century Britain, small kingdoms are merging, frequently and violently. A new religion is coming ashore; the old gods are struggling, their priests worrying. Hild is the king’s youngest niece, and she has a glimmering mind and a natural, noble authority. She will become a fascinating woman and one of the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages: Saint Hilda of Whitby.

His Ownself: A Semi-Memoir by Dan Jenkins - Sports/Memoir

October 28, 2014


In HIS OWNSELF, we follow Dan Jenkins from his youth in Texas, where being a sports fan meant understanding a lot about religion, heroes and drinking; to his first job at the Fort Worth Press; to the glory days of Sports Illustrated. From his friendship and the rounds played with Ben Hogan, to the stories swapped with New York’s elite, Jenkins lets loose on his experiences in journalism, sports and showbiz.

The Martian by Andy Weir - Science Fiction/Thriller

February 11, 2014


Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Mastering the Art of French Eating: From Paris Bistros to Farmhouse Kitchens, Lessons in Food and Love by Ann Mah - Memoir

October 28, 2014


When journalist Ann Mah’s diplomat husband is given a three-year assignment in Paris, Ann is overjoyed. A lifelong foodie and Francophile, she immediately begins plotting gastronomic adventures à deux. Then her husband is called away to Iraq on a year-long post --- alone. Suddenly, Ann’s vision of a romantic sojourn in the City of Light is turned upside down. So, not unlike another diplomatic wife, Julia Child, Ann must find a life for herself in a new city.

Mirage: A Novel of the Oregon Files by Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul - Thriller/Adventure

October 28, 2014


In October 1943, a U.S. destroyer sailed out of Philadelphia and supposedly vanished, the result of a Navy experiment with electromagnetic radiation. The story was considered a hoax --- but now Juan Cabrillo and his Oregon colleagues aren’t so sure. As Cabrillo races to find the truth, he discovers there is even more at stake than he could have imagined. But by the time he realizes it, he already may be too late.

Nicholson: A Biography by Marc Eliot - Biography

October 28, 2014


Biographer Marc Eliot sheds new light on Jack Nicholson's life on and off the screen. From Nicholson’s working class childhood in New Jersey to raucous nights on the town with Warren Beatty and tumultuous romances, to movie sets working with such legendary directors and co-stars as Dennis Hopper, Stanley Kubrick, Meryl Streep and Roman Polanski, Eliot paints a sweeping picture of the breadth of Nicholson’s 50-year career in film, as well as an intimate portrait of his personal life.

Night Diver by Elizabeth Lowell - Romantic Suspense

April 8, 2014


Kate Donnelly returns to the island of St. Vincent in an effort to save her family’s diving and treasure-hunting business. Holden Cameron was addicted to the adrenaline rush of active duty. The last thing the former British military diver wants is to babysit a family of thieves on a tropical island. When equipment, treasure and even divers begin to disappear, Kate and Holden form an uneasy alliance to uncover the truth. But the deeper they plummet into the mystery, the closer they come to one another.

Norman Mailer: A Double Life by J. Michael Lennon - Biography

October 28, 2014


J. Michael Lennon knew Norman Mailer for 35 years. In this biography --- written with the cooperation of Mailer’s late widow, Norris Church, his ex-wives, and all of his children, as well as his sister, Barbara --- Lennon captures Mailer in all his sharp complexities and shows us how he self-consciously invented and reinvented himself throughout his lifetime.

An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris - Historical Thriller

October 28, 2014


Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish officer, has just been convicted of treason and stripped of his rank in front of a crowd of 20,000. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, the recently promoted head of the counterespionage agency that “proved” Dreyfus had passed secrets to the Germans. However, it isn’t long before Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country --- and himself.

Raising Steam: A Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett - Fantasy

October 28, 2014


Steam is rising over Discworld, driven by Mister Simnel. He has produced a great clanging monster of a machine that harnesses the power of all of the elements, and it’s soon drawing astonished crowds. To the consternation of Ankh-Morpork’s formidable Patrician, Lord Vetinari, no one is in charge of this new invention. Who better to rectify this than the man he has already appointed master of the Post Office, the Mint and the Royal Bank: Moist von Lipwig.

Return to Oakpine by Ron Carlson - Fiction

October 28, 2014


In the small town of Oakpine, Wyoming, four men try to make peace with who they are in the world. In high school, they were in a band, and readers learn what has become of these friends and the different directions of their lives. Now that they are reunited, getting the band back together might be the most important thing they can do.

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes - Historical Fiction

October 28, 2014


Following World War II, four women in Sydney, Australia join 650 other war brides on an extraordinary voyage to England --- aboard HMS Victoria, which still carries not just arms and aircraft but a thousand naval officers. The men and the brides will find their lives intertwined despite the Navy’s ironclad sanctions. And for Frances Mackenzie, whose past comes back to haunt her far from home, the journey will change her life in ways she never could have predicted.

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen - Fiction

October 28, 2014


Anna Quindlen’s latest novel begins with an imagined gunshot and ends with a new tin roof. Between the two is a wry and knowing portrait of Rebecca Winter, a photographer whose work made her an unlikely heroine for many women. After fleeing the city for the middle of nowhere, she discovers --- in a tree stand with a roofer named Jim Bates --- that what she sees through a camera lens is not all there is to life.

Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World --- from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief by Tom Zoellner - Transportation/Travel

October 28, 2014


In his wide-ranging and entertaining book, Tom Zoellner travels the globe to tell the story of the sociological and economic impact of the railway technology that transformed the world --- and could very well change it again. From the frigid trans-Siberian railroad to the antiquated Indian Railways to the Japanese-style bullet trains, Zoellner offers a stirring story of this most indispensable form of travel.

The Trip to Echo Spring: On Writers and Drinking by Olivia Laing - Social History

October 28, 2014


In THE TRIP TO ECHO SPRING, Olivia Laing examines the link between creativity and alcohol through the work and lives of six extraordinary men: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, John Berryman, John Cheever and Raymond Carver. All six of these writers were alcoholics, and the subject of drinking surfaces in some of their finest work.